Menu

Hughes Blues

Unbelievable. John Hughes died today. Chicago native, he set a lot of the greatest comedies ever produced there. I grew up with John Hughes films. Vacation, Home Alone, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Breakfast Club. I remember loving the idea of my family leaving me home alone by accident while they all ran off on vacation. Looked like a blast. I remember actually faking illness at the school nurse and then going home, recording myself ‘snoring’, playing it on the tape deck in my bedroom and filling the bed with anything I could find to make it look like I was sleeping. When my Mom came in and thought I was the lump in the bed sleeping, for that split second, was one of my proudest teen moments. Stupid, but definitely some pride in pulling it off a la Bueller. And if I didn’t? What’s the worst that would happen? Detention? Hughes took detention and made it look like fun.

John Candy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Matthew Broderick, Macaulay Caulkin, Molly Ringwald, John Cusack and on and on. Hughes produced comedies that all ages could relate to and helped make stars out of some of my favorite screen actors today. I have countless on DVD and find it hard to believe that at only the young age of 59, John Hughes is no longer with us. What a shame.

Someone like John Hughes is exactly what this world needs and it’s a shame when we lose someone like him. I wonder if he was a Cubs fan. I wonder how badly he wanted to see a Cubs championship if that was the case. For all the laughter and joy he provided us over the years, that was the least he could have had in return.

John Hughes was actually a White Sox fan. In the Director’s commentary version of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off he mentions that the only reason he used the Cubs in the baseball game scene was because at the time of filming there were no White Sox day games. Either way he was definitely a fan of the windy city and I’m sure he’s looking down and sending luck to both the Cubs and Sox. Heres to the Cubs winning a W.S. sometime soon, but not before the “real” boys in blue win it. Go Dodgers!!

Writing for:

MLB.COMVINE LINE MAGAZINE - The official publication of the Chicago CubsBASEBALL DIGESTCONNECTICUT TIGERS - Class A Short Season Minor League Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers
Writing Samples available HERE